JasperAlice One-Shot Collection
by ibelieveinguardianangels
Summary: Collection of Jasper/Alice One-Shots. It will include other Cullen family members (and possibly Bella). Mostly hurt/comfort, but there might be some happier chapters later on. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 **Checking my emails recently, I remembered that I had received a prompt to write a collection of Jasper/Alice one-shots. Thank you to the person who sent me that prompt; I'm very sorry it has taken me so long to get around to it. There will also be some stories including Alice and/or Jasper with other Cullen family members (and possibly Bella).**

 **I had been trying to think of a title, but I feel** _ **Jasper/Alice One-Shot Collection**_ **covers it, really.**

 **As always, sorry for any mistakes.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Chapter 1**

Typically, Jasper trusted Alice. He usually believed that she knew what she was doing. He usually trusted her visions. But, this time, he was convinced that Alice had made a mistake. It _had_ to be a mistake. There was no way that this could _ever_ be a good decision. And he was about to voice as much to Alice when she turned to him, stopping in her tracks, and glared.

"Stop it, Jasper."

Jasper frowned at the order, opening his mouth to argue when Alice said;

"Jasper, I can feel your distrust." Alice spoke again, softer this time, and he couldn't help but smile when she reached up to place a hand gently on his cheek. "I promise you, everything is going to be fine. They're going to love us. I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't certain."

Jasper knew that. But it didn't help settle his anxiety.

They didn't know _anything_ about this coven. And futures change. What's to stop them from attacking? His little Alice would be heartbroken if they turned them away.

And surely it would be a better idea to use their front door than to walk through the forest at the back of their house. He certainly wouldn't be happy if somebody entered his territory from the back.

Besides, it was politer that way.

"Jasper, stop." Alice demanded again, and he could see the anxiety on her face.

"My apologies, darling." Jasper said softly, calming himself and sending calming waves over to his little wife. "Are you absolutely sure...,"

He didn't get to finish his question because Alice sent a glare his way.

"Yes."

Alright, then.

Jasper reached out, taking Alice's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Jasper held his breath as they neared the grounds of this coven that Alice was adamant they were joining. He still didn't have a good feeling about this. But he figured that it was best to just trust her. As she said, she wouldn't be doing this if she wasn't certain.

He could feel confusion and wariness in the air as the giant house from Alice's vision came into view. He hid behind a tree, watching. He could see figures moving behind the glass, heading towards the exit. Heading towards _them_.

A low rumble echoed from Jasper's chest before he could stop it.

Alice's hand suddenly came into contact with his shoulder, hard.

"Jasper! Stop it. Now."

Jasper straightened his knees and forced himself to relax his position, absently rubbing his shoulder.

Suddenly, Alice nodded. This is what she had seen in her vision. The coven was partway across the field. Alice stepped out from the shelter of the trees and made her entrance, Jasper rushing to stick by her.

There were three vampires in front of them. _Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie_ , Jasper thought to himself. He glanced around. Where were the other two males? Alice had said that there were three males and two females.

Alice and Jasper came to a stop a little way away, Jasper purposely standing so close to Alice that they were touching.

"Welcome," Spoke Carlisle, clearly the coven leader. "My name is Carlisle Cullen. This is my wife, Esme, and my daughter Rosalie." He pointed to them both respectively.

 _Daughter?_ Jasper thought, sure that he must have misheard. There was no way that he had referred to her in that way.

"Major Jasper Whitlock, sir." Jasper spoke up, taking charge once he had overcome his confusion. "And this is _my_ wife, Alice."

"How can we help you?" Carlisle inquired.

Jasper was about to respond when Alice disappeared from his side. In the time it had taken him to blink, Alice was standing in front of them. He could feel her excitement from where he was standing. And just by the second-hand excitement he could feel coming from Carlisle and his wife, he knew Alice had her smile on her face.

It was the same smile that made Jasper melt.

Jasper was by his wife's side in seconds, pulling her back slightly. Vision or no vision, she could approach unknown vampires like that.

"My apologies, sir." Jasper spoke, subtly sending out a few waves of calm. "My wife can be very enthusiastic."

Jasper felt the excitement that Carlisle had initially been feeling fluctuate slightly as their eyes met. Carlisle's eyes fell upon his face for a moment and Jasper could feel a slight hostility coming from him. But it soon faded and his smile returned.

"Nonsense." Carlisle waved his apology off. "What can we do for you both?"

"We'd like to join your coven." Alice stated simply and Jasper mentally face-palmed. He'd _told_ her to break the news gently. He'd _told_ her to ask for permission. Coven leaders can be very sensitive about who does and doesn't join and she-

"Of course." Jasper's train of though was broken when the word's left Carlisle's lips. "Do come inside, we shall get to know one another better."

Rosalie, who had so far been quiet, let off a feeling of disgust. Jasper's eyes shot towards her in surprise. Disgust was what she was feeling, but wariness was what showed on her face as she glared at him.

"You're going to invite them in? Look at him!" She gestured towards Jasper violently and his lips instinctively pulled back into a snarl. For the second time that day, Alice's hand came into contact with his shoulder. Apparently Rosalie was undeterred. "You're not bothered by - by _that_?!"

Jasper knew exactly what she was referring to. The many, _many_ half-moon shaped scars that littered his face. He didn't know what she'd think if she happened to see the rest of his body.

"Rosalie, enough." Spoke Esme softly, the first words she had said since the pair of them arrived.

"We are understanding of everybody, Rosalie." Carlisle spoke. "And we respect that everybody has had different circumstances. You are well aware of that." Jasper felt a small sense of shame from Rosalie, but it didn't last long and soon her arrogance returned. "Alice, Major Whitlock, please follow us."

 _Major Whitlock_ , Jasper thought to himself. He'd soon have to correct that. But he figured he'd let it slide for now. Alice would surely explain.

Alice skipped eagerly behind them as Carlisle led them inside. Rosalie, clearly unhappy with the new development, walked straight up the stairs and further into the house away from them.

"Please, take a seat." Carlisle gestured towards the sofa opposite the loveseat where he and Esme had sat together. Clearly they were used to ignoring Rosalie's hostile behaviour.

Alice did so, crossing her legs at the knee.

"Jazz?" She questioned, but Jasper shook his head.

"Thank you. But I'd much prefer to stand, if it's all the same."

He couldn't sit. Not yet.

He didn't know anything about these vampires. He had to be ready to protect his wife, and himself, if necessary.

"Not a problem." Carlisle said easily. He then went on to introduce himself, giving the pair of them a bit of background. Jasper listened intently, taking in everything. Once Carlisle had finished, he gestured for his wife to do the same. They continued on, briefly introducing the members of the coven.

"Of course," Carlisle spoke, "that is just the basics. It's up to them to tell you more. I ask that you don't push, some of us have had struggles that we are none too keen on speaking of. I assure you, everybody will open up when they feel good and ready."

 _Good._ Jasper thought to himself. _At least they weren't stupid enough to give away important information to strangers._

He had mentioned that the other two males, Edward and Emmett, were out hunting and would be back shortly.

"Would you like to further introduce yourselves?"

Alice was quick to do so, but Jasper was thankful that she kept a lot to herself. He had been worried that she would spill everything to them. Carlisle and Esme were awed by her talent. And they seemed very impressed with their devotion to their coven when they became aware of their golden eyes. And, just like he had assumed, Alice had corrected them on how they addressed him.

"And how about you, Jasper?" Carlisle prompted, easily using his preferred title. Jasper didn't speak. He had told them all they needed to know. Anything else was too much. They knew his name. They knew his rank. They knew what Alice had told them.

"Jasper can be quite sensitive." Alice spoke softly, and Carlisle and Esme seemed to understand.

"That's not an issue." Carlisle assured him. "We'll not pry. I don't see that there would be any problems. So Alice, Jasper," He nodded to them in turn, "we are happy to have you join us."

Really? That easily? No initiation? No proving their strengths and their talents? That was _it_?

"Please, feel free to look around; get yourselves settled. Edward and Emmett will be back soon; you can meet them then."

Both Alice and Jasper nodded, thanking Carlisle and Esme.

"Upstairs there are a number of bedrooms. Take your pick."

Jasper followed Alice up the stairs, keeping a close eye on Carlisle and Esme as he did so.

Of course, Alice being Alice, they found themselves emptying out Edward's bedroom. Alice was adamant that he would be fine with it. Jasper figured they'd just have to wait and see.

 **Author's Note: I know that this topic has been done and over done, but I wanted to start off with something simple to see if people are wanting me to continue this. I have multiple chapters ready to be posted.**

 **Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think and if you would be interested in reading more.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

Chapter 2

His chest had just stopped vibrating when he registered the look of shock on Carlisle's face. He and Alice had only been living with the Cullen's for a short while. Alice had settled in immediately, of course she had. Jasper, on the other hand, was struggling. And he knew that everybody had noticed it.

Alice had tried to speak to him about it; she'd tried to get him to open up to her. And so had Esme. But it seemed that today, Carlisle was the one receiving the brunt of his emotions.

He figured that he should look down. He figured he should be ashamed.

But he couldn't tear his eyes away from Carlisle's suddenly black eyes.

"Did you just _growl_ at me?" Carlisle demanded, clearly in disbelief of Jasper's audacity.

Jasper had to fight not to swallow the venom that was welling in his mouth, a side effect of the fear that he was now feeling.

 _He'd done it now._

He unconsciously shuffled his feet. But he still didn't look away.

"Jasper, I asked you a question. _Did_ you just growl at me?"

"Yes, sir," Jasper nodded slightly, but he kept his head straight.

"And you think that's acceptable behaviour?" Carlisle's voice was calm but Jasper could feel the anger rising in him. He wanted to send out some waves to calm him, but he wasn't going to risk it.

 _He'd_ really _done it now_.

"No, sir,"

Carlisle shook his head.

"No, Jasper. It certainly was not acceptable behaviour."

He'd made a mistake. He'd made a terrible mistake. And Jasper was terrified that he was definitely going to pay for it. Nobody had upset Carlisle since Jasper and Alice had arrived and he had no idea how he was going to react. Jasper mentally slapped himself. How could he have done something so stupid? Growling at the _coven leader_! What kind of fool did something like that?

And all because he wasn't getting what he wanted.

Anxiety flooded Jasper, and he did his best to squash it before it reached Carlisle. The last thing he needed right now was the very vampire he had just growled at to learn how he was feeling about this.

Carlisle wasn't doing a good job at disguising his anger.

But Jasper could feel something else. Was it hurt?

The one thing you _don't_ do if hurt your coven leader. Physically or emotionally. Not if you wanted to remain in one piece.

"Do you want to explain why you felt the need to growl at me?"

Jasper could tell that Carlisle was trying to stay calm him with him, but his anger was unmistakeable.

"You're not listening." Jasper blurted out before he could stop himself.

"I am listening." Jasper felt like he should argue. But he was in trouble as it was. Alice would be furious with him if he made it worse for himself. "You wish to join the others in school. I was simply saying that it's not feasible at this time. You've not had enough practice around humans, yet."

"How am I ever going to get the practice I need if I'm never allowed to try?" Jasper implored. "I'll be in the same classes as Emmett. He'll help me if I need it." He _really_ needed Carlisle to understand. He was sick and tired of being stuck in the house on his own. He wanted Alice.

"It's not worth the risk, Jasper." Carlisle spoke, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "It'll be too overpowering for you just yet. When we feel you're ready, you can join them. Just not yet."

"Then what's the point in trying?" Jasper demanded and felt a sudden surge in Carlisle's anger. The anger was soon replaced, however, by concern. "What's the point? It's always going to be 'you're not ready, Jasper' or 'not just yet, Jasper'. What's the point in trying when you don't think I'll be able to do it?"

"Of course we think you'll be able to do it. Esme and I have no reason to believe that you won't be able to join the others. Just not now. It's too soon." Carlisle was speaking softly, all signs of anger gone.

But that didn't stop Jasper own frustration.

"That's what you said when I asked last time. How is it possible that it can _still_ be too soon when it's later. Alice has joined them."

"Alice has been preparing herself for this for a long time, Jasper." Carlisle explained. "You haven't. You just need a little more practice, that's all. You'll get there."

He was trying to be encouraging. He was trying to show that he believed in him. But all he succeeded in doing was making Jasper even angrier.

Not wanting to risk getting himself into even more trouble, the soldier pushed his way passed Carlisle. He was going to go upstairs to the bedroom he shared with Alice - where he seemed to be spending _all_ of his time, recently - but Carlisle did not seem happy about that.

"Jasper Whitlock," He spoke firmly as Jasper reached the bottom of the staircase, "do _not_ walk away from me when I'm speaking to you. It's very disrespectful. Come here."

It was in Jasper's nature to respond appropriately to a direct order from his coven leader. But he was upset. And he wanted to be on his own. He faltered for a second, but soon regained his stride and continued walking.

"Jasper Whitlock. I said come here."

Jasper could sense Carlisle behind him. He knew that he was being followed. And so he sped up, running at his fastest up to his bedroom and slamming the door behind him. Not that it made a difference. Carlisle was soon on the other side of the door.

 _How could you be so stupid as to disregard a direct order from your coven leader?_ Jasper admonished himself. _Are you_ _trying_ to get yourself killed?

Carlisle knocked on the door before he pushed it open. Even angry, he remained polite.

"I _told_ you not to walk away from me." Carlisle stated simply. His eyes were darker than they had been as he leant against the doorframe. Jasper felt a shiver run down his spine.

"I would like to be alone." Jasper spoke as respectfully as he could.

"And I would like an apology."

An apology? For what? _Oh, of course._ He wanted an apology for being growled at.

"My apologies." Jasper said easily, sitting down on the bed he shared with Alice and pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Do you truly believe that was sufficient? You _growled_ at me and disregarded a direct order from me _twice_. And you think that was an acceptable apology?" Carlisle entered the room then. "Stand up."

"What?" Jasper frowned at him.

"Stand up. And come here." Carlisle pointed to the floor in front of him. Jasper could feel that Carlisle was at the end of his tether and figured it was too risky to not do as Carlisle said. Soon he was standing directly in front of the coven leader, looking into his eyes. "In this house respect is first and foremost. You respect me. You respect Esme. And you respect your brothers and sisters. You do not growl at us. You do not ignore us. And you do _not_ walk away from us mid-conversation. I demand an apology and I demand a sincere one."

Jasper figured that he should apologise, but he couldn't. He couldn't get passed what Carlisle had said; ' _you respect your brothers and sisters'_. Brothers and sisters? He must mean the others. But why would he refer to them like that?

"Jasper!" He was startled from his thoughts by Carlisle. The man had an angry look on his face, but Jasper could feel concern coming from him. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes, sir," Jasper responded immediately, his anger and frustration now replaced by confusion, "I am deeply sorry for my behaviour." Jasper promised and Carlisle seemed to relax.

"Apology accepted." He spoke, and Jasper was surprised that it ended there. "Please believe me when I tell you that you _will_ join them one day. I have everything faith that you will. That day just isn't today."

Jasper nodded and, with Carlisle's permission, he went back over to his bed.

Brothers and sisters?

That's something he would definitely have to talk to Carlisle about later.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Please review.**

 **Also, I'm open to ideas/prompts if there's anything people are interested in.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

 **Here's Chapter 3**

 **It's a happier chapter :)**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

He _was_ trying to focus on the book in his hand. He _really_ was. But his mind kept drifting and he found himself staring absently at the pages. It was times like this that he wished he had Edward's talent. At least then he wouldn't be having this issue. Shaking his head slightly, he forced himself to concentrate on the words in front of him. But even after he read three lines, he found that he still didn't know what he had read.

Giving up, he hooked his book under his arm and made his way up the stairs to the bedroom that he shared with Alice.

His little pixie was lying on the bed, her sketchbook above her head and a thoughtful look on her face. He put the book on his desk and crossed the room to lay with his wife. He felt Alice's contentment and smiled to himself as she cuddled up to him, looping her arm through his.

"Alice,"

"Hmm,"

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Nope."

Jasper sighed. He _really_ wished she would. He didn't like this. He didn't like not knowing. Alice turned her head to face him and Jasper couldn't help but smile at the little pout she had on her face.

"I promise, Jasper, it's nothing to worry about." Alice pecked his cheek before turning her attention back to the sketchbook in her hand. He liked to believe that she would tell him if it was something he needed to be aware of, but he really _did not_ like it when she kept her visions to herself like this.

He tried to relax, laying his cheek on Alice's head, but his body remained tense. Until he knew what was going on, he would be on guard. Alice knew this, so why was she so intent on keeping it a secret?

"Alice, please," He spoke softly.

"Nope." He lifted his head when she turned hers to look at him. "You don't need to be so worried."

It was then that he realised he was projecting onto his wife. He reigned himself in and leaned down to give her a kiss.

"I'm sorry."

"Relax." She told him. And Jasper tried. He really did try. But he _hated_ not knowing.

He closed his eyes, hoping it would help him to relax. He had just started to when a surge of giddiness shot over him. He glared at his wife, but she simply grinned back at him.

A knock sounded on the bedroom door.

"Come in, Carlisle," Alice called, seemingly forgetting that they were vampires with super-sensitive hearing.

Carlisle pushed the door open, smiling at them both, and turned his attention to Jasper.

"Do you mind coming with me for a second?"

Jasper furrowed his eyebrows, but stood to follow him, glancing back at Alice who smiled reassuringly at him.

He followed Carlisle through the house and into the kitchen.

Standing there was Esme, and behind Esme sat a very large box.

"Have a look," She spoke softly to him. He did as he was told, his jaw falling open as he lifted the lid.

"The library is refurbishing, so they're buying all new." Carlisle explained as Jasper stared, the box lid still in his hand. "I pulled some strings, and..."

In the box, which was half the size of Esme from the floor, was books. There were fiction books, literature books, historical books. And that was only what he could see on the top layer.

"We figured you must have read your collection time and time again." Esme continued where Carlisle left off. They were right. He only had a small collection of maybe ten books. It's all he'd bought when he and Alice had first arrived. He'd read them cover-to-cover multiple times. "So we thought you might like something new."

"I've already bought a new bookshelf for you. A larger one. We can put it in one of the spare rooms." Carlisle told him. "Esme and I thought you might like a room of your own, a 'quiet' room. We know you're a private person, so we thought you would appreciate a personal space. Esme is very happy to design it for you."

So _this_ is what Alice was hiding from him.

And, suddenly, he was thankful that she had. The feeling of joy he felt from both Carlisle and Esme when he enveloped them in a hug was certainly worth the wait.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Please review. I love to hear what you thought.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

 **Here's Chapter 4**

 **It's a very short chapter. There will be a couple of short ones.**

 **I'm aiming to post two today to make up for it being so short.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

"Oh Ali," Jasper soothed. He picked Alice up and sat on the edge of their bed, easily settling her on his lap. She instantly buried her head into his shirt. He tightened his hold on her, sending out some calming waves to try and make her feel better. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, as though she was clinging onto him for dear life. Clearly his calm wasn't doing anything to help her. "We've _all_ made mistakes, sweetheart. I'm sure Bella will understand."

"My brother almost died because of me," Alice argued in a distraught tone, squeezing Jasper's waist even tighter. Jasper knew, if she were human, there would be tears soaking into his shirt.

"No, Alice. Edward almost died because Rosalie didn't give you the time to find out the truth." His tone was firm, but he kept his comforting hold on her. He was not going to allow her to torture herself over this. "You warned us of what you had seen. Rosalie thought she was helping. You've nothing to be worried about, I promise."

"Everybody's going to think I'm unreliable." Alice whimpered and Jasper tightened his hold.

"Nobody will think that, Alice," He could feel the embarrassment drifting off of his wife in waves. "Ali, you've nothing to be embarrassed about, darling. You aren't to blame. It was all a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding that almost killed my brother." She pushed her head into the crook of his neck and Jasper tilted his head to place a kiss on her cheek.

"Alice, you need to stop blaming yourself. Nobody thinks it's your fault. Nobody but you." He used the embrace to send some more calming waves to his wife, strong ones. He was thankful when he felt her relax, curling up against his chest again. He pressed another kiss on the top of her hair and cradled her close.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **I'd love to hear what you think; I'm open to any prompts you might have.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

 **This is the second chapter update today.**

 **Here's chapter 5.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

"Jasper," Jasper could literally see Carlisle's face mould into an expression of hurt, "that anger - that _rage_ I just felt, that was _your_ doing?" Jasper wasn't sure how to answer that. Somehow 'yes, sir' didn't seem right. So he nodded. " _Why_?!" Carlisle wailed. "Why would you want to make me feel like that? Why would you want to make me so angry with you?"

Jasper couldn't answer his question. Carlisle simply wouldn't understand. So he averted his gaze, looking out of the window in Carlisle's study. He watched Alice and for a moment a little smile played on his face. Alice was knelt on the floor next to Esme, helping her plant her newest flowers. Alice had even helped her pick them out.

"Jasper!" Carlisle snapped, pulling Jasper's gaze back to him. "Why did you do that? I could have _hurt_ you! Is that really what you want?"

No, that wasn't what he wanted. What he wanted was much simpler.

He wanted Carlisle to ask him to leave.

He couldn't just leave. His darling Alice would be heartbroken. She'd want to come with, and that would mean giving up her family. He couldn't let her come with him, he'd have to go alone. Which meant she'd never forgive him. But if Carlisle _asked_ him to leave, Alice wouldn't have a say in the matter.

He hadn't meant to hurt Carlisle. That just happened to be a side effect. But he needed Carlisle to understand. He was a liability. He had forced them to move from their home.

He had broken the Cullen's biggest rule.

And he was certain that he would do it again. Which was why it was so important that he left.

"Jasper, I asked you a question." Carlisle's voice broke through his thoughts again.

"No, sir," Jasper answered, his voice soft, "I didn't want you to hurt me."

But now that he was thinking about it, maybe that _wasn't_ such a bad idea. If Carlisle hurt him then -

His thoughts were interrupted when the door to Carlisle's study slammed open. Jasper dropped instinctively into a crouch, turning to face the intruder. He slowly rose again when he saw Edward standing there. He could feel the anger radiating from him.

 _Jasper! You fool!_ How could he forget that there was a mind-reader in the coven?

"How could you be so stupid?" Edward snarled, charging across the room at him. Edward grabbed him by the collar as soon as he reached him and Jasper pushed down the soldier inside him. He needed this. This fight could be what he was waiting for. He could have easily fought Edward off, he could have had him on the ground in seconds.

Instead, he let his body go limp. He didn't even attempt to fight back as Edward crashed into him, sending them both crashing through Carlisle's study window and onto the concrete ground below.

Somewhere in mid-air, Jasper easily flipped the pair so that it was Edward who came into contact with the floor beneath them. He had removed Edward's hands from the collar of his clothes and he pushed himself to his feet as soon as they had stopped falling.

He turned to run, but Edward grabbed him, knocking him on the floor. Jasper reacted instinctively, a snarl tearing from his throat as he grabbed Edward and tossed him through the air. He had thought that he could throw Edward far enough that he could make his break for it, but he had forgotten that Edward was the fastest of the Cullen's.

He was back in front of Jasper almost as soon as he had landed, his hands around his throat. Jasper removed his hands from his throat with very little effort and pinned them to Edward's sides.

He could vaguely hear screams around him. And he was slightly aware of Carlisle's presence. But Edward was the focus of his attention now.

"You think _this_ is right?!" Edward snarled, his teeth merely inches away from Jasper's face. Jasper chose not to answer the question. He was focused on Edward's anger. He was absorbing it, strengthening it and sending it back to him in waves. Edward's eyes were darkening in colour, his face contorting into that of a true vampire. Jasper was certain his face was doing the same.

The rage he was sending to Edward was ricocheting, and with their close proximity, Jasper was receiving it in seconds.

Jasper registered Alice's panicked voice shouting his name; it momentarily broke his concentration. This gave Edward an advantage. He broke out of Jasper's grip and knocked him down, pinning him to the floor. Edward knelt over him, his hands around his throat again.

"Jasper!" He heard Carlisle snap and suddenly Edward was pulled off of him. "Stop this. Now!"

Jasper watched as Edward fought again Carlisle who was trying to restrain him. He was snapping his teeth, snarling, kicking, fighting - he was even attempting to _bite_ him. Jasper slowly rose to his feet, his attention directly on Edward again.

"Jasper, stop!" He heard his little Alice demand. He could imagine her stomping her foot, her arms folded over her chest and a pout on her face.

He ignored her.

He would have continued to manipulate Edward, had he not been interrupted. He was suddenly bowled to the floor, his attention severed.

Jasper felt the effect immediately. Without his control, a calm suddenly encased the group. Edward stopped fighting against Carlisle and Carlisle let him go. Jasper noted that Edward looked exhausted, and a little disturbed.

He didn't notice much more, his attention was interrupted again by the knee that was suddenly pressing against his stomach. Emmett was on top of him, one knee pinning his body down, the other resting over his legs. He was pinning both of Jasper's arms above his head. Jasper shook, angrily hissing at him. But Emmett's grip didn't loosen.

"Do you think you're clever?" Emmett demanded, their faces inches apart. Venom flew like spittle from his mouth as he spoke and Jasper felt it shower his face. He let out another hiss, shaking again to try and dislodge him. "You think we don't know what you're doing?"

Of course he was aware they knew what he was doing. That was the point.

"Emmett," Carlisle spoke calmly, coming to stand behind him. "Get up. Let him up."

Jasper saw Emmett's incredulous look and took advantage of his distraction to tip him off. Jasper rose to his feet, looking at Emmett, stunned, on the concrete. He brushed himself down, wiped Emmett's venom from his face and then let his body take on his military stance. The one he had used so many times. It warned people away from him.

Most people, anyway.

"Jasper?" Alice questioned, stepping towards him. He looked towards her. "What's going on?"

Jasper didn't get the chance to answer Alice's question. Edward did it for him.

"Jasper is trying to get Carlisle to ask him to leave."

"What?" Carlisle breathed, his eyes shooting to Edward and then back to meet Jasper's. "Why?"

Again, Edward answered Carlisle's question.

"He feels he's too much trouble."

Jasper hissed angrily at Edward. _Stay out of my head!_

"Jasper," Carlisle spoke, following Alice's lead and taking a step towards him. "Why?"

Jasper glared at Edward; it was a warning glare.

"I'm too dangerous." Jasper avoided Carlisle's eyes as he answered him. "I don't want you to have to move again."

"Jasper thinks it's best if he's no longer with us. He thinks -,"

Jasper's growl interrupted him. Jasper caught sight of Carlisle's hands, raised in a placating gesture, and he reigned himself in.

"Yes, thank you, Edward." Carlisle glanced over to look at him. "So making me angry, that was to make me ask you to leave? You wanted me to grow so angry with you that I wouldn't want you here?" Jasper nodded. "And instigating the fight with Edward, purposefully manipulating him, was to show me that it would be best if you weren't here?"

"Yes sir,"

"Jasper, you fool." Emmett spoke up from behind Carlisle. He was standing next to Rosalie now, an arm wrapped around her. He didn't look angry now. And Jasper could feel concern drifting from him.

"Jasper didn't want to admit he was having problems." Edward spoke up again, seemingly answering someone's unspoken question. "He didn't want to ask for help."

Jasper watched silently as Carlisle let out a sigh.

"You're replacing that window." He stated simply, gesturing vaguely towards his office. "You've plenty of time. But first, I want you in the house. We have a lot we need to talk about."

Jasper figured he'd got his answer.

Carlisle wasn't going to let him leave any time soon.

Maybe he should have just _asked_ for help in the first place. Saved all this trouble.

He let out a sigh of his own and watched as everybody took cue from Carlisle, heading away in the general direction of the Cullen grounds. They were going to hunt. To give them privacy. Only Carlisle and Esme remained. Jasper let his stance drop, following the pair of them up to Carlisle's study.

"You stupid boy," Carlisle reprimanded, but Jasper could feel the affection he had for him, he could tell Carlisle was, even if partly, teasing him.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **When I have short chapters, I'll always aim to post more than one to make up for it.**

 **Please let me know what you think. I love to hear from you.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

Carlisle tore his gaze away from the patient file he was reading, diving out of his desk chair and speeding through the house at the sound of Alice's panicked shout. They met on the stairs, Alice literally running into him in her haste to get up the stairs. He reached out, grabbing her forearms and steadying her so that she didn't go tumbling backwards. Seemingly undeterred by running headlong into him, and steady on her feet again, Alice grabbed his hand and tried to pull him down the stairs.

"Carlisle! It's Jasper. You have to come now!"

"Alice." Carlisle said calmly, resisting her tugging for a moment. "What's going on? What's wrong with Jasper?"

"He's hurt, Carlisle. He's really hurt." He could hear the lump in her throat that she was trying to speak around. "Please, Carlisle, you have to come and help him!"

Carlisle needed to know more. But he could find out more on his way. He immediately followed Alice down the stairs and towards the Cullen grounds.

"Alice, what's happened to Jasper?" He asked as he caught up to her, running alongside her as she led him to Jasper. "How did he get hurt?"

"We ran across a nomad. We thought there was only one. But another jumped us. There were loads. Jasper fought them all, trying to protect me. But they were stronger than him. They were too fast for him to fight them all at once. They've hurt him, daddy."

Carlisle had no reason not to believe Alice. She'd never lied to him before. But he had to be careful. Jasper was Alice's mate and there was always the chance that she was unintentionally over exaggerating his injuries.

But as they reached the field Alice had said they were in, he was almost knocked off of his feet by the pain he felt.

Had it not been for the sun shining off of his skin, Carlisle wouldn't have seen him. He was lying on the floor, hidden by the tall grass.

He forced away the pain that Jasper was projecting and headed towards him. Alice was hot on his tail.

"Jasper!"

He couldn't help the exclamation when he saw his son.

Jasper was laid out on the floor, both of his arms spread outwards. His legs were resting at odd angles. His head was tilted to the side, staring away from them and into the trees.

Carlisle dropped to his knees beside him. Very tenderly he took Jasper's face in his hands, turning his head so that he was looking him in the eyes. He gasped as he saw his son's face. His skin was cracked in many places, open and weeping venom. There were bite marks just below his chin on his neck and around his collar bone.

He allowed his eyes to dance down the rest of Jasper's body. There were more bite marks, littered here and there. And finally, his left leg was snapped off from below the knee. He was in too much pain to have even thought about putting himself back together.

"It's okay, Jasper." Carlisle soothed, letting go of Jasper's head and wincing as he let it fall to the side, making no move to stop it. He wanted to stroke his cheek, to make him feel better, but he couldn't. There were too many wounds and he couldn't risk it.

He glanced around him, noting Alice a little way off. It wasn't safe to treat him in the field. Nomads had been here once, there was nothing stopping them from returning. Which left Carlisle deciding how to safely move him.

After a few moments deliberation, he hooked his arms gently under Jasper and rose with him in his arms. Jasper let out a pained groan as he lifted him from the ground and Carlisle whispered an apology. He let out a soft moan when Carlisle started moving.

"Alice, can you...?" He left the question open and nodded towards the remainder of Jasper's leg on the floor.

Jasper whimpered softly as Carlisle walked. He wanted to run, to get him home as soon as possible, but he wasn't going to risk hurting him further.

It took much longer than he had liked, but soon they were upstairs and in Alice and Jasper's room. Carlisle laid him out on the bed, apologising profusely as the poor boy let out a shout of pain as he accidentally caught a particularly sore spot on his arm.

Alice was standing by the foot of the bed as Carlisle leant over Jasper. Her eyes were flooded, tears of fear as she watched them. He knew that her emotions wouldn't be doing Jasper any good. So he had to get her out of the room.

"Alice," He waited until she was looking at him, "please go and run a bath for Jasper. Not too hot, mind." He asked her to go to the bathroom in the en suite he shared with Esme. The bath in there was bigger.

Once Alice had left, Carlisle set to work.

He carefully sealed the wounds on Jasper's face. He tended to the bites that littered his skin. He checked his elbow, finding another, very large, split in the skin. Clearly somebody had tried to dislocate his arm as they had his leg. He sealed the wound there.

And finally, he moved on to the severed leg.

He carefully removed Jasper's jeans. The wound was jagged and poor Jasper yelled when Carlisle carefully touched the skin around it, checking for any more damage. Carlisle took the rest of Jasper's leg and lined it up. He pushed the two parts together and used his venom to seal them.

Jasper screamed, sobs bubbling out of him.

"I am so sorry, Jasper." Carlisle returned to his head and gently brushed his hair out of his face. "It's all done now. I promise."

Carlisle double checked that there were no more injuries. He couldn't find any.

"Jasper, Alice has run a bath for you, shall we get you in it?"

Jasper answered with what would have sounded to a human like a grumble. But Carlisle heard the 'yes' beneath it.

"We need to see if you can walk." He knew his leg should be healing now, it would still be painful, but it was important he got it moving as soon as possible. He helped him up from the bed, wrapping an arm around his waist. They took a tentative step forwards, Carlisle grateful to find that, while limping, Jasper was able to walk.

He guided him towards the bathroom, holding his bodyweight.

Alice was still in there, staring absently at the water.

"Thank you, Alice." Carlisle spoke softly, reaching out his spare hand to cup Alice's chin. He sent her a reassuring smile. "The water will do you some good." He promised, setting him on the toilet seat and requesting Alice's help in removing the rest of his clothes.

He and Alice helped Jasper into the bath, listening as he hissed in pain as the water first touched his wounds. But he was soon used it and settled down, laying down so the water was up to his chin.

"I'll leave you to it, Alice, let me know when he wants to get out."

Which Alice did. She called his name 3 hours later when Jasper was feeling a little stronger.

Carlisle entered the bathroom, pleased to see that Jasper was sitting up now. He was quietly talking to Alice.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he helped Jasper to his feet.

"Better." Jasper spoke. "Thank you."

Once he was out and dry, they settled him on the bed he shared with Alice. Carlisle left them to their own devices. Jasper was feeling better; that's what was important.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **I'd love it if you could leave a review and let me know what you think.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's Chapter 7.**

 **There will be two chapters today since this chapter is short.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

Jasper felt Alice's arms wrap tightly around his middle, attempting to pull him backwards. She was trying to pull him away from Carlisle. No doubt she was trying to prevent the situation from escalating. Jasper could feel the anger rising in him, part of him yelled to get it under control, the other part didn't care.

Maybe it was a good thing that Carlisle knew just how angry he was feeling.

"Jazz," Alice spoke softly. There was a warning behind her tone, but he shook his head at her, his eyes never once leaving Carlisle's.

"You don't trust me." Jasper accused through gritted teeth.

"Jasper, of course we trust you."

"You're lying!" Jasper roared suddenly and poor Alice leapt away from him in shock. He figured he should probably apologise to her. He should probably comfort her. After all, it wasn't Alice he was trying to scare. But his anger and frustration prevented him from doing so.

"Jasper!" Alice hissed quietly, a reprimand.

"Excuse me?" Carlisle demanded, raising a questioning eyebrow at him. "What reason would I have to lie to you, Jasper?"

"How should I know?" Jasper snarled.

"Jasper, stop." Alice demanded and suddenly she was in front of him, her hands on his chest. She was trying to push him back now, trying to put a distance between him and Carlisle.

But Jasper's feet were firmly planted on the floor and Alice wasn't moving him.

"Jasper, I have no need to lie to you."

He was trying to calm him. His hands were held in front of him in a placating gesture. But it didn't help. Jasper could feel the exasperation that Carlisle was feeling.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle," Alice spoke. "I don't know what's got into him. Jasper," She changed tactic again, taking his hand in both of her own and trying to pull him from the room. Jasper easily shook her hands off and heard her gasp in shock.

He'd never done that before.

Even when he was mad at her, he'd never stopped her from holding his hand.

"You don't trust me." He spoke slowly. "That's what _this_ is all about. You don't believe that I can control myself."

"Of course we do, Jasper." Alice tried to assure him, he could see she was a little put out at being rejected. "I just think that Edward would feel better if we went hunting first. _All_ of us."

Jasper's anger continued to rise. He knew that he struggled sometimes; he knew that he'd made a couple of mistakes. But he _never_ thought that his 'family' wouldn't trust him to be around a single human. He went to school everyday. He was _surrounded_ by humans. How could this possibly be any harder?

"Alice is right, Jasper. Esme and I hunted this morning. Rosalie and Emmet hunted shortly after we returned."

"So, now it's our turn." Alice finished.

Jasper scoffed, a low growl rumbling deep within his chest. Alice and Carlisle seemed to choose to ignore it.

"No." Jasper shook his head, his lips pulled back, baring his teeth. "If you _truly_ believe I can control myself, then I have no reason to hunt."

And with that, Jasper turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving Carlisle and Alice behind. Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard Alice say;

"It's okay, Carlisle. I'll talk some sense into him."

And he let out another growl.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Please review.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's Chapter 8. This is the second update today.**

 **A little Esme and Jasper bonding time :)**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

Jasper could see the pain in Esme's face as their eyes met; he could feel the guilt radiating from her even from where he was standing across the field. She stood up slowly, looking away from him. She was clearly hurting and Jasper didn't know what to do. He wanted to send out a wave of calm to help her, but he had a feeling that it would make her angry. He wanted to comfort her. But he was worried that it wouldn't be the right choice. He hadn't spent much time with Esme. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to handle this.

Part of his brain was ordering him to go to her. The other part was yelling at him not to risk it.

He didn't know what Esme would do if he approached her when she was upset.

He watched her raise her hand to cover her mouth and Jasper's eyes slid closed momentarily as he heard her sob.

 _Oh, Esme._

He wished Carlisle had chosen to come with them instead of going to work. He'd know how to handle this. Jasper was still uncertain of Carlisle's policy when it came to his coven members slipping up like this. He didn't know if he should step up into the role of second-in-command and punish her. He didn't know if he should try and comfort her.

He stayed quiet, walking slowly over to where Esme was so that he didn't startle her. He wordlessly disposed of the body, dumping it into a nearby river. He watched for a moment as the water washed it away, taking with it all the evidence.

He returned to where Esme was and fell an odd pain in his chest when he saw her.

She was knelt on the grass, her hands covering her face and her body shaking with sobs. He could feel her pain from where he was standing. He quickly crossed to her. He couldn't leave her feeling like this. If what the other's said was true then Esme was his mother for all intents and purposes and he wasn't about to leave her crying.

"Esme," He spoke softly, kneeling near her. He didn't get too close. He didn't want to risk anybody getting hurt. "May I help? May I use my gift to calm you?"

He believed that if he used his gift, then they could talk. She was too upset right now to have a significant conversation.

"We can you cleaned up in the stream," He offered when she didn't answer his question. The human blood that was coating her hands made his throat burn despite the deer he had already drained. He was just thankful that Esme's victim had been alone. He didn't know what Carlisle would have done if they had both slipped up.

"Esme, please, talk to me," Jasper found himself begging, "let me help."

Esme lifted her head from her hands, blood staining her hair and painting her face. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but no tears had been produced. It was something Jasper hated about being a vampire. No emotional outlet. Her eyes left his and fell to her blood-stained hands again and Jasper saw her bottom lip quiver. It was such a human response that Jasper was thrown for a second.

He edged his way closer to her.

"The water will wash it away," Jasper's voice was gentle as he spoke to her, "I know it won't mean it hasn't happened, but I think you might feel a bit better if you didn't have the evidence there."

Jasper rose to his feet, careful not to make any sudden movements. He waited awkwardly for a moment and, when Esme made no move to stand, he held out his hand.

"Esme," She looked up at him, taking his hand. Jasper led her to the nearby stream. He carefully pulled her down to the ground with him. She seemed to be in a daze.

He used his own hands to wash Esme's, like helping to wash a child's hands. He also reached out tentatively to wash the blood away from Esme's face and hair.

"Carlisle will understand," Jasper didn't know what made him say it, but clearly something had. "He loves you."

That he knew was true. He could feel it.

He dried his hands on his shirt and, unthinkingly, removed it to wipe the water away from Esme's hands and face. Jasper caught Esme looking at his scars as he replaced his shirt.

"My apologies," He spoke instinctively. He knew his scars made other uncomfortable.

Esme didn't mention it, she simply averted his gaze from his chest and looked into his eyes.

"Would you like to go back to the house?" Jasper asked; he couldn't bring himself to say the word 'home'. Not yet. "Carlisle will have returned from work when we get there, but the other's will still be at school. You'll have time to talk with him before they return. I'll stay outside so you can be alone."

"No," Esme spoke the first words since the _incident_ , "no, I'd like you to come in with me."

Jasper nodded. If Esme wanted him there, he'd be there.

They set off towards the house, Jasper staying closer to Esme than he had before. He could feel that Esme was still ashamed of herself.

Jasper was right. By the time they returned to the house, Carlisle had just come back from work. Once Esme saw him, she ran from Jasper's side, throwing herself into his arms.

Jasper remained standing in the kitchen, hovering by the back door.

"Esme?" Carlisle questioned, glancing between the pair of them. He could see the protectiveness in Carlisle's eyes as they met his; he watched as they started to darken. Carlisle thought Jasper had hurt his mate. "What's happened?"

"I slipped, Carlisle," Esme sobbed into his shirt, "I'm so sorry."

Jasper looked down at his feet under Carlisle's scrutinising gaze.

"You didn't have any influence over this, did you, Jasper?"

"No, sir." Jasper answered respectfully, a little wounded that Carlisle would think that.

"Jasper helped me, Carlisle," Esme spoke up and Jasper looked up, a little surprised that she'd told him. He didn't think she would have done. Carlisle was looking down into Esme's eyes now, his brow knitted in confusion.

Esme explained everything, telling him what Jasper had done. Jasper could feel Carlisle's emotions as he listened to her, an odd mixture of sympathy and _pride_.

"He was so good, Carlisle." She finished, looking over at him. Jasper could feel one specific emotion being sent his way. An emotion he had only ever felt from Alice.

Love.

"Jasper, come here," Carlisle spoke in a soft tone. Jasper did as he was told, coming to stand beside him. "I am very grateful for what you have done today. I'm very proud of you. Thank you for helping Esme through such a difficult time."

Jasper, again, bowed his head respectfully.

"I apologise for jumping to conclusions. I shouldn't have accused you of influencing her. Can you accept my apology?"

Jasper frowned a little, looking to meet his eyes. He could feel the regret radiating from Carlisle which confused him even more. He was apologising? For defending his mate?

Clearly he was waiting for an answer.

"There's nothing to accept, sir."

Carlisle smiled at him.

"Jasper, would you mind tending to Esme's garden? Your siblings will be home soon. I'd like some personal time with Esme before they return.."

Jasper had thought as much. He nodded, turning to head into the garden when he heard Esme speak.

"Jasper," He turned back to her, she was holding her arms out to him. He stepped into them, wrapping his own around her. He wasn't too comfortable with it; it wasn't something he liked. He didn't like physical contact, other than from Alice. But Esme wanted it, and knowing how upset she had been, he couldn't say no. "Thank you for today."

"My pleasure," He bowed once he was out of the embrace. He took Esme's hand in his own and placed a kiss on her fingers. He heard her giggle at his action. "I'll tend to the garden now." He said as he rose from his bow, turning to Carlisle who said;

"Truly, Jasper, I am very grateful. Thank you for looking after Esme."

"My pleasure." He repeated and left the kitchen to leave the pair in peace.

He didn't think it often, but he did wonder as he walked over to the shed where Esme kept her garden tools that maybe this coven wasn't going to be so bad.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Please review.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's Chapter 9.**

 **There will be two updates today.**

 **I know this one is an odd concept, but I figured I'd play around with it.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

"Jazz," Jasper opened his eyes, looking towards the door where Emmett was standing, "we're all going to play baseball. You coming?" He had the baseball in his hand, throwing it against the opposite one and back again.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"I won't," Jasper shook his head slightly, regretting it immediately. He squeezed his eyes closed, willing the dizziness away.

"You alright, bro?" Emmett asked, his brow pulled down into a frown. He took a couple more steps into the room and Jasper could feel the concern pouring off of him.

"The thunderstorm is playing havoc with my head," Jasper told him. It happened occasionally. Not all the time, though. Carlisle had never been able to explain it.

"You want me to get Carlisle? Or Alice?"

"No. Go and play. Make sure the boys win." Jasper ordered with a soft smirk.

"Oh, I intend to." Emmett smiled widely at him and turned to leave. "Feel better soon."

Jasper nodded slowly, but Emmett had already left the room.

Jasper allowed his eyes to close again, only to reopen them moments later when another head appeared around his bedroom door.

"Jasper, Emmett told me," Carlisle told him quietly, entering the room and crossing over to his son. Typical Emmett. Jasper should have known that he would have mentioned it to him. "How bad is it?"

"Not too bad. Just bothersome." Jasper tried to reassure him. It was true. It wasn't too bad. He'd definitely had worse. But it _did_ hurt.

"I can stay," Carlisle began but Jasper stopped him, raising a hand.

"No need. Go and play. Make sure Emmett keeps his promise." He let his hand fall back onto the bed. He knew Carlisle didn't need to ask what promise. It was the same promise they made each other every baseball game.

"Esme wants to finish her newest design," Carlisle explained, referring to the house blueprint she'd started the night before, "she'll be downstairs. I'm sure she'll be happy to help if you need anything."

Jasper was sure too.

"Keep your eyes closed. Alice says the thunderstorm won't be too long so you'll be feeling better soon."

Carlisle stepped forwards and ran his fingers through Jasper's hair.

"We'll see you soon. Remember,"

"Esme's downstairs if I need anything." Jasper finished. "Go and have fun, Carlisle. I'm okay, really."

Carlisle hesitated and Jasper worried for a moment that he would refuse. But he doubled checked he was okay, closed the curtains and then he was gone.

Jasper closed his eyes and burrowed into the pillow, praying the thunderstorm would pass soon.

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Please review.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's Chapter 10.**

 **This is the second of two updates.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

"Carlisle! Help! _Carlisle_!"

The screams tore from his throat as he thrashed violently. He _should_ have been able to break the restraints that were holding him, but he didn't stand a chance. He was stuck. He felt physically sick as the smell of burning wood drifted up from below. If he wasn't careful, if he kept thrashing, he'd break through the wooden floor and become even more exposed to the rising flames. He could already feel the heat rising, getting closer to him. He knew it was only a matter of time.

" _Carlisle_!" He screamed again, thrashing once more. He had to break the restraints. He had to get out of here.

"Jasper?!"

His breath hitched in his throat. He wished the slight relief he felt could spread through his body, but there was no way it could. Not until he was out of here. Not until he was safe. He wanted to scream at Carlisle, to tell him not to come in. It wasn't safe. He couldn't let Carlisle die because of him.

"Carlisle!" He shouted again. He wanted to warn him, but he couldn't. He had a chance at being rescued. He could feel Carlisle's presence above him. "Carlisle! _Please!_ "

Jasper hadn't realised he was crying, but the sobs suddenly broke free, surprising him.

"Jasper!" Carlisle called again and Jasper realised that he was on the roof immediately above him.

"Carlisle!" He shouted once more and moments later a rain of wood fell down on him. He watched Carlisle climb easily through the hole that he had made, carefully dropping himself beside him.

"Jasper." Carlisle breathed and Jasper could feel the odd mixture of relief and panic coming from the patriarch. Carlisle rushed over to him, dropping to his knees instantly. He knew what Carlisle must be thinking. Why couldn't he have untied himself? It should have been easy. And it would have been. Had it not been for the fact that his fingers had been broken and left to heal wrong. His wrists were also broken, ripped slightly from his arms.

Carlisle worked quickly but carefully, untying the restraints. He lifted Jasper into his arms, easily smashing his window with his foot and jumping out. Jasper felt Carlisle running and soon they were away. Carlisle propped him up against a tree.

Carlisle checked him before running back towards the burning building. Jasper forced himself to calm down. He was free now. Carlisle was here. He was okay. That didn't stop his pain, though. He left his hands resting in his lap. He couldn't bring himself to try and fix himself up.

"Jasper," Carlisle asked when he returned, kneeling down in front of him, "my son, who did this?"

"I didn't know him, Carlisle," Jasper explained. "It was a newborn. He was too strong for me to deal with."

Jasper couldn't help but feel shame. He had been in charge of so many newborns, and here he couldn't even fight off one.

He heard Carlisle sigh softly, upset radiating from him. It made Jasper feel worse.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, feeling so much shame it was almost crippling.

"No," Carlisle shook his head, kneeling down beside him, "you've nothing to apologise for. Jasper, I need you to sit tight."

Jasper knew what was coming. Carlisle was going to fix his hands up.

Which meant re-breaking his bones so that they'd heal properly.

By the time Carlisle had finished, Jasper was hoarse. He had his head resting against Carlisle's shoulder. Carlisle had worked as fast as he could, but he'd had to be careful that he didn't do anything wrong.

"Let's get you home," Carlisle spoke and Jasper allowed him to lift him to his feet. Even though he could feel he was healing, the pain was still intense. "Alice is waiting for you. She's very worried."

Jasper nodded, walking alongside Carlisle. He didn't want to run.

Jasper felt Carlisle's hand on his back, just below his neck. It was a nice gesture. His touch was soft, but firm. A father's touch.

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Please let me know what you think.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's Chapter 11**

 **Thanks for reading.  
Sorry for any mistakes.**

Chapter 11

Jasper felt an odd clenching sensation in his chest, as though something was squeezing his heart, as he felt the hurt radiating off of Esme. She stared at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open, in disbelief. He was certain his own face mimicked the expression. He didn't need to turn around to know what expression would be on Carlisle's face; he could feel his fury.

He truly hadn't intended to hurt her.

He'd just wanted a day of school.

"How dare you?" Carlisle gasped from behind him, finally finding his voice, and Jasper felt his chest constrict even more when he heard the hurt in Carlisle's tone. "How very dare you?"

Jasper wanted to turn to face him. He knew it was the respectful thing to do. But he couldn't tear his gaze away from the betrayed look in Esme's eyes. He was furious with himself. How could he have been so stupid?

"Get up." Jasper did as he was told, rising from the breakfast bar stool. He still couldn't take his eyes off Esme. Not now he'd seen the tears welling up in her eyes. What had he done? "Look at me." He couldn't. "Jasper Whitlock, look at me, now."

He still couldn't. He couldn't take his eyes off of Esme. Sweet Esme. Loving Esme.

Suddenly a hand appeared beneath his chin, gripping tightly and roughly turning his head to face Carlisle.

"I suggest you explain yourself. Now." Carlisle's tone was a carefully administered calm, but Jasper could feel his anger. He couldn't speak. His throat had tightened up, constricting with his chest. What kind of idiot was he?

He'd never _seen_ Carlisle so angry. His face was dark, and for the first time since they had joined them, Carlisle actually _looked_ like a vampire. Jasper struggled to focus on his face, he couldn't get Esme's wounded expression out of his mind.

"Jasper. Now!"

"I just wanted a day off school." Jasper rushed. "A day without people."

"You wanted a day off school?" Carlisle repeated, his grip tightening and Jasper tensed. He was certain that Carlisle was going to rip his head off, right here, right now. Jasper didn't blame him. He'd hurt his mate. Not physically, but still... "And that warrants manipulating Esme, does it?"

"No, sir." Jasper would have shaken his head had it not been for the ever tightening hand below his chin.

"What was so difficult about just _asking_ us?" Carlisle demanded, pulling Jasper closer by his chin, so close their noses were almost touching. "What stopped you from explaining what you needed? Are we truly that disagreeable?" Jasper winced as a soft sob came from Esme and he momentarily closed his eyes, wishing this situation away, wishing he hadn't been so damn foolish. "Why did you have to manipulate her? How dare you make her feel guilty like that?"

Jasper swallowed. "I-,"

"Don't speak." Carlisle snapped. "You purposely manipulated her to get what you wanted. You want today off?" Jasper wanted to nod, but he felt like it would be the wrong answer. He should have just gone to school. "You have the day off. You'll spend it upstairs in your room. I don't want to have heard that you've left your bedroom at all until I return home from work. Do you understand?"

Jasper swallowed again, trying to get rid of the venom that was welling in his mouth.

"Yes, sir."

Jasper should have been happy. It was what's he'd wanted after all. But he couldn't be. Not now. _This_ wasn't what he'd wanted. He'd just wanted a day away from the humans. A day away from the temptation.

Carlisle suddenly let go of Jasper's chin. He physically turned Jasper around and Jasper felt him push him forwards. It wasn't rough, but it was enough to show him how angry Carlisle really was. He _never_ got physical with his coven. He much preferred to talk things through.

"Go on."

Jasper did as he was told, almost running to his room to get away from the situation. He heard Esme below, berating Carlisle for being so rough with him. Jasper wanted to tell her not to. He deserved it. He deserved more.

He quietly closed his bedroom door behind him, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself.

He dropped onto his bed, covering his face with his hands.

How could he have manipulated Esme like that? Poor, sweet Esme.

Carlisle was right. All he had to do was explain to them how he was feeling and what he needed but instead he'd decided to take advantage of a sweet, wonderful woman.

He laid quietly, listening as Carlisle drove away, going to work. He listened as Esme left the house to go into the back garden. In seconds he was standing at his bedroom window, watching her. She was gardening. She _loved_ gardening. But she didn't have her usual enthusiasm. She seemed to be gardening for the sake of it instead of the enjoyment.

He wanted to use his gift to cheer her up, but he figured he'd done enough damage.

He stared for a little while, just watching her as she methodically removed the weeds and watered the plants.

Esme must have felt his gaze because she stood, turning around and looking straight up at him. He stepped back, away from the window. And he lowered himself to the floor, leaning against the window wall, wrapping his arms around his legs and leaning his head against the wall.

He was such a fool.

He closed his eyes.

He heard her approach, but he didn't move. Not until she knocked.

He was at the door in a flash, opening it.

"Esme," He breathed, admittedly surprised that she'd want to come anywhere near him. She'd taken off the hat that she'd been wearing and had removed her gardening gloves.

"May I come in?"

Jasper nodded, stepping backwards, away from the door so that she could enter the room.

She walked over to his bed, sitting down and gesturing for him to join her.

"Jasper," She spoke when he sat down, turning her body to face him, "I am very disappointed in you."

He'd assumed as much. But that didn't make it any easier to deal with.

"I'm sorry."

Esme shook her head at him.

"You overstepped the mark today, Jasper. You cannot do something like that. You have a wonderful gift, Jasper. But you need to make sure that you use it for the right reasons."

Jasper nodded.

"Why couldn't you just talk to me? I would have understood that you needed some time away. I would have said yes."

Jasper dropped his eyes. He couldn't stand to see the disappointment and pain in her eyes. He couldn't know that he had caused that.

"I needed to be sure." He whispered. Esme didn't speak for a moment. When she did speak, her question surprised Jasper.

"Are you struggling? Is that why you were so desperate to get the day off?"

Jasper shook his head.

"Not desperate," Jasper spoke softly. "I just wanted the day off. A day away from all the temptation. I'm not struggling. I just need a little break."

Esme sighed.

"Carlisle and I like to think of ourselves as reasonable parents, Jasper. Clearly we must be under the wrong impression."

"No," Jasper shook his head, "you're wonderful parents. I just wanted to be certain that you'd say yes. I truly am sorry."

"Sometimes, Jasper, 'sorry' isn't enough. I never want you to manipulate me like that again. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Jasper nodded immediately. He wouldn't dream of it. Not now.

"Carlisle will be here to talk to you when he gets home from work."

That was the last thing Esme said before she walked out of his room. Jasper felt his chest constrict even tighter. Esme had a habit of telling her children that she loved them when she left a room, especially after an emotional conversation like this. It was her way of showing unconditional love. She hadn't said it to Jasper.

She'd just left the room.

She left with no word of forgiveness. Not even a sign that she'd accepted his apology.

He knew he deserved it. It was his own fault after all.

He deserved that, and more. And he was terrified of what the 'more' would turn out to be when Carlisle returned.

Jasper slid off of his bed, crawling under it into the darkness. He lay on his stomach on the carpeted floor. He folded his arms in front of him, laying his head on them. He closed his eyes, willing the peace to take him. Vampires couldn't sleep. But they could meditate. And that's exactly what he did.

He was startled out of it a few hours later when a knock sounded on his bedroom door. He didn't get the chance to speak when he heard the door click open.

"Jasper?" Carlisle questioned. He knew that Carlisle knew he was in there, he'd be able to smell him. Jasper quietly slid himself out from beneath the bed. "May I come in?" Carlisle questioned when he saw him.

Jasper nodded as he raised himself up from the floor. He briefly wondered what Carlisle would do if he said 'no'. Carlisle walked across the room as Jasper perched on the corner of his bed. Carlisle joined him on the bed, sitting beside him like Esme had done earlier. He seemed a lot calmer now. But he certainly wasn't happy.

"Esme mentioned that she came in and spoke to you earlier,"

"Yes, sir,"

Jasper couldn't bring himself to meet Carlisle's eyes. He could feel the disappointment wafting from him.

"Jasper, what you did really hurt Esme." Jasper nodded, running his finger over the scars on the back of his hand. "She's lost a lot of trust in you. And so have I."

Jasper could understand why.

"You've already explained to Esme why you did it, so I'm not going to bother going over it again." Carlisle raised his hand, pinching at the bridge of his nose in frustration. "You, my boy, have a lot of making up to do. I'm sure you understand why I'm grounding you."

He did.

Carlisle rose from the bed without another word and left just as Esme had earlier.

And he was left alone again.

Until Alice returned, at least.

"What's going on, Jasper?" Was how Alice greeted him, crawling up onto the bed to join him. He wanted to wrap his arms around her. He wanted to hold her tightly. But he couldn't. "I saw Carlisle grounding you. What happened?"

He swallowed the lump that was in his throat, forcing himself to keep his emotions under control. He wouldn't risk projecting them.

He took a deep, unnecessary breath, and told Alice exactly what had happened.

Alice had been ready to comfort him, ready to tell him that it would be over soon and everything would go back to normal. Jasper knew this from experience.

But he watched her face change. And he watched her posture harden.

"Jasper, you didn't?!" She gasped when he had finished. Suddenly he wanted her comfort. He could feel her disappointment too. She climbed back off of the bed. "I can't believe you, Jasper Whitlock."

He watched her leave the room. He didn't even try and stop her.

He'd been imagining that she'd tell him it would all be okay. But he was beginning to realise that it wouldn't. He'd really made a mess of things. And all because he didn't want to go to school.

He wanted to go downstairs and join them. He could hear them laughing in the front room. He could hear them playing together. It sounded like Carlisle was losing badly at a board game. He hadn't even been invited to join them. They didn't want him there. Even Alice didn't want him there.

He thought of the punishments he'd received while he'd been with Maria.

He'd thought they'd been bad.

But he would take having each of his limbs torn slowly from his body over being left out any day.

He hadn't realised how much this family meant to him. But he realised it now. And he also realised that they didn't trust him anymore.

He crawled under his covers, pulling them over his head.

And there's where he stayed, curled up in a tiny ball, until there was another knock on the door. He didn't know how long he'd been there for. He didn't answer. He knew who was there. He could smell them. They knocked again, cracking the door open and asking for permission to enter.

He still didn't answer.

He felt them close the space between the door and the bed.

One sat at his feet. The other remained standing and pulled the duvet away from his head.

"Jasper," Carlisle spoke. He was probably about to reprimand him for ignoring them. But he stopped when he took in his face. "What's wrong?"

What's wrong? What did he mean?

It was Esme who answered his unspoken question.

"Jasper, you're crying,"

Was he?

He suddenly became aware of the tightness in his chest. He became aware of how difficult it was to draw deep breaths. Suddenly Carlisle was on his knees, their faces inches apart. It was the second time they'd been in this situation today, but this time it was different. Carlisle wasn't angry. He was concerned. So was Esme.

"Jasper, talk to us." Carlisle ordered softly.

"I made a mistake, Carlisle." Jasper hiccoughed, taking in a shaky breath. "I made a big mistake and I don't know how to make things right." He felt a hand rest on his thigh and glanced down to see Esme looking up at him, a similar expression on her face as had been there that morning. He'd done it again. He didn't even know how. He tried to stifle his sobs, he tried to reign in the emotions that were overcoming him, but he couldn't.

He _needed_ to fix things. Couldn't Carlisle punish him? Couldn't he tear his arm off and have it over with.

"Jasper, did I frighten you this morning?" Carlisle asked, concern knitting his eyebrows together. "Esme mentioned I was too harsh."

Jasper shook his head. Too harsh? He wasn't harsh enough. He'd made a massive mistake and he needed to be punished for it. He had to earn their forgiveness somehow.

"How can I make it better? How can I put things right?" A sob tore from his throat. Carlisle's hand came to rest on Jasper's cheek. It didn't stay there long. Jasper let out a gasp of shock when, all of a sudden, he was sitting in an upright position, his back against the headboard. Esme was on Alice's side of the bed, her position mirroring his. Carlisle was on his side of the bed, sitting exactly the same way. And he was sandwiched tightly in the middle.

"Jasper, son, it's okay." Carlisle's voice was gentle. "Don't upset yourself so."

"We forgive you, my sweetheart," Esme soothed. "It's all over now."

Jasper closed his eyes, leaning his head back and Esme took his hand.

Those words. They were the words he didn't know he had been begging for.

He was forgiven. It was all over now.

And they _didn't_ hate him.

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **I hope you enjoyed.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	12. Chapter 12

**There are only 8 chapters of this story left to post. I will mark it complete when it reaches chapter 20.**

 **For now, here is chapter 12.**

 **This is the first of two updates today.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

Chapter 12

Jasper had wedged himself in between the rock and the tree, his knees pulled up to his chest and his head buried in his arms. He tried multiple times to swallow the lump in his throat. He tried multiple times to stop the sobs that wracked his body. He couldn't believe he'd done it _again_! Carlisle had forgiven him last time; he'd been so kind and understanding. Surely he wouldn't forgive him again.

"Jazz," He pulled his head from his arms to see Alice standing there, a sad smile on her face. She immediately flashed to him, crossing the small distance, dropping to her knees in front of him and pulling him into her arms. "Don't cry."

"I've done it now, Alice." Jasper whispered. "I've ruined it."

"Don't be silly, Jasper." Alice spoke softly, pulling back from the hug so she could look into his eyes. "You made a mistake, that's all. Carlisle's worried about you."

Jasper scoffed.

"Alice, I let him down." He spoke softly. "Again."

Jasper moved his legs so that they were flat against the floor. Alice straddled him and leant forwards to re-instigate the embrace and squeeze him tighter. He wrapped his arms around her in return and buried his head into the crook of her neck. With his Alice in his arms, he sobbed openly.

"Oh, Jazz," Alice cooed, pulling back from the embrace and taking his face into her hands. She ran her hands through his blond hair and placed a kiss on his lips. "Carlisle will understand that it was a mistake. Carlisle will understand that you didn't do it on purpose. As will the others. Trust me."

"Alice,"

"Jasper," Her voice was firmer this time, "you have nothing to worry about. Esme will be smothering you with love when we get home. You've nothing to fear, believe me. Now, calm yourself and let's go home."

Jasper nodded, giving Alice another squeeze and letting her stand up.

There was no sense in fighting with her.

He could only hope she was right.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **I hope you enjoyed.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's Chapter 13. This is the second update today.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes.**

Chapter 13

Alice gasped as Jasper stood from the bed all of a sudden. His eyes were black and his posture was stiff. She knew what was happening immediately. Poor Jasper was having a flashback. He'd had a few since they met, and it was important to try and bring him out of it as soon as she could. She'd briefly wondered about PTSD symptoms in vampires. She'd never mentioned it to Carlisle though, or Jasper.

If the flashback was severe, Jasper could lash out. He spoke sometimes, as well, responding to whatever it was he could see that she couldn't. He always got angry at himself afterwards, panicking that he had given too much away. When it was just with Alice, he wasn't too fussed. She knew everything about his past anyway, save a few little details he hadn't yet felt comfortable sharing.

"Jasper, my love," Alice reached out, touching his shoulder tentatively and hoping it wouldn't spark an angry reaction. When it didn't, she stepped a little closer, placing her hand against his cheek to try and give him a lever to bring himself back with.

She'd dealt with his flashbacks before. Sometimes they were easy to deal with, and she could bring him back quickly. Other times he was too deep and she had to watch until he brought himself back out, preventing him from hurting himself or breaking things.

"Jasper, come back to me, sweetheart." She spoke, placing her other hand on his chest. "It's alright."

She could feel the emotions he was feeling. Whatever he was seeing, it wasn't good.

"Jasper, come on, it's alright. I'm here."

Jasper face changed suddenly, setting into one of surprise and he blinked. Their eyes met and Alice smiled reassuringly at him. She was about to ask him if he was alright but he spoke before she could.

"Who's in the house?"

Alice noted how hoarse his voice sounded. If she hadn't been stood with him, she would have assumed he'd been shouting.

"Us, and Carlisle," Alice spoke softly, her hand still pressed to his cheek. "He's in his office."

"What did I say?" Jasper demanded, suddenly defensive. "What did I _do_?"

Alice knew what was wrong. He was worried he'd given too much away with Carlisle in the house.

"Nothing, my love." Alice promised him. "You just went into a daze for a little while. Nothing to worry about."

"Did I hurt you?" She could feel the panic radiating from him.

"No, sweetheart, you didn't do anything like that. You were just out of it. You didn't hurt anyone, you didn't say anything and you didn't do anything. You know I'd tell you if you had."

Jasper nodded at her words, but he still seemed unsure.

"Are you alright?" It was the question she had wanted to ask him. She moved her hands so that she could take Jasper's. His hands were balled into fists and Alice forced them open so she could slide hers into them. She gave them a gentle squeeze and Jasper looked towards them.

"I definitely didn't do anything?"

"Nothing." Alice assured him. "Where did you go?"

Alice watched Jasper as he suddenly began to tremble. She squeezed his hands tighter again, shifting her head so that she could see into his eyes.

"Maria," He whispered and Alice nodded. It explained the emotions he'd been feeling.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not here. Not with..." He glanced towards the door and shook his head. He didn't want to risk Carlisle hearing anything.

"We can go wherever you need to." Alice assured him. She hated seeing the pain on his face. She wanted to hold him and to comfort him, but she couldn't risk it. Jasper was too raw from his flashback, sudden physical contact like that could make him panic. It could bring out the vampire inside him.

"I need to hunt." Alice could hear the pain in his voice. She knew he had only hunted the day before with Emmett, he shouldn't need to hunt again so soon. But if that's what he felt he needed to do, then she wasn't going to stop him.

"Would you like me to join you?" Jasper nodded, and they jumped together from their bedroom window. Their hands didn't separate until they got to where Jasper had chosen to hunt. He didn't want to use their normal hunting grounds. He clearly wanted to be as far away from the house as possible.

Alice kept her distance when Jasper came across his prey. His hunted with anger and Alice knew that he was using hunting as an emotional outlet. She wasn't about to stop him.

When Jasper had returned to her side, his eyes were even more golden than usual.

"Please," He said as he reached her. He didn't stop. She nodded, following him. Suddenly Jasper started to run; Alice ran to keep up with him. They ran and ran, getting further away from the house until Jasper stopped so suddenly that Alice almost ran into him.

He bent down, pushing his way through a bush. He held it out of the way so that Alice didn't have to fight with it like he had. Ever the southern gentleman, even in his emotional state.

When she came through the other side, Alice was surprised to find that they were in another clearing. Jasper walked over towards a very large tree. Jasper sat on the floor, leaning against it. He pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his arms on top of his knees.

Alice joined him, kneeling so that she was in front of him.

"Are you alright?" She asked again.

For the first time in a long time, Jasper shook his head.

"No, Alice," She could hear the pain in Jasper's voice, the lump he was forcing himself to speak around, "I don't think I am."

Jasper usually kept himself to himself. He wasn't good at sharing his emotions. Alice was sure it came from his army days, both the Civil War and the Vampire Wars. So for him to have openly admitted to Alice that he wasn't okay, Alice knew he must really be suffering.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She wouldn't make him. She would _never_ force him to talk about something if he didn't want to. But she hoped he would. She wanted to help.

He nodded hesitantly.

"I need to get away, Ali. I need a break."

She could hear the desperation in his voice.

"We can speak to Carlisle." Alice offered. "I'm sure he'd let us use Isle Esme." Jasper nodded his head at her words. "May I ask what's brought this on?"

"I can feel a... _depression_ coming on." Jasper was suddenly very interested in his hands. "I need to get away. I need to leave until I'm recovered."

Alice frowned at that. Jasper hadn't suffered with his depression for a while. He'd been doing so well. She couldn't help but wonder what had brought it on.

"You don't need to leave, my love. I'm sure that there wouldn't be an issue. We've all had our problems."

Jasper shook his head.

"I can't risk it, Alice," Jasper spoke. "I've not had this problem while we've been with the Cullens. I don't want to - I don't want _them_ to suffer through this with me."

"That's what you're worried about? That you'll project onto them?"

Jasper nodded.

"Jazz, we're your family." Alice reassured him. "Family help one another through times of need."

"I can't, Alice." He whispered. "I don't want them to know. They'll want to know why and... I'm not ready to talk about it yet."

His past with Maria had _always_ been a sore subject. And Alice didn't expect him to share it with anyone unless he was sure he was ready to. It was his personal information. They both knew Edward was aware, he'd often seen things in Jasper's thoughts, but he'd been decent and he hadn't mentioned it to anyone. Jasper had pretty much begged him not to.

"You don't have to. Nobody will make you. If you really want to leave for a little while, then we'll ask Carlisle and Esme if _we_ can visit Isle Esme for a little."

She put emphasis on the 'we'. Jasper could leave the others behind, but Alice was _not_ going to let him suffer through this alone.

Jasper nodded and Alice could see his chest shudder.

"Jazz," He shook his head, but Alice wasn't about to let him get away with that. "Jasper, look at me, love. It's alright. I'm right here."

Jasper shook his head at her again. He was playing anxiously with his fingers.

It was coming. Alice knew it was. She didn't need a vision to tell her. She _knew_ her husband. She could tell that he was trying to hold it together. But she knew that he needed to let go.

"I can't hurt them like that, Alice. They'll be so _angry_ with me. It's far too selfish."

She wanted to laugh at the notion. Selfish? Angry?

"Jasper, listen to me." She waited until he met her eyes. " _Nobody_ will be angry with you. I promise. They love you too much. But we _can_ go away from a little while. Nobody's forcing you to stay."

"Won't Esme be hurt if we leave?"

Realisation hit Alice in that moment.

"You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?" Alice questioned. "How long has this been coming on?"

"A couple of weeks now." Jasper spoke apologetically. "I was trying to fight it. I wanted to prove to myself that I could cope but... I guess I was wrong."

"You don't have to fight these things." Alice assured him. "We're _all_ here for you."

Jasper simply nodded.

Alice sat quietly for a few seconds, just watching her husband. He was still playing with his fingers, his attention focused on them. He took in a shaky breath. Alice watched, her heart aching, as Jasper's face crumpled. No tears were produced, but Alice didn't need to see them.

"Jazz," She spoke softly, but he shook his head at her. She sat quietly for a few more minutes. Jasper's chest was rising and falling rapidly. "Jasper, would you like a hug?"

She would _never_ touch him without his permission. Not when he was upset like this. She knew that there was a risk it could make him worse. It could make him angry. And he'd be very upset with himself if he hurt her.

Jasper nodded. Alice moved from where she was kneeling opposite him and sat at his side. She held her arms out for him and he all but fell into them. She could feel his body shaking with the sobs he was trying to suppress.

"It's okay," She soothed, running her hand down the side of his face. "I'm here, you're safe now."

That was all it took for Jasper to break. His sobs became louder as he clung to Alice for dear life. She didn't try and stop him. She didn't tell him not to cry. He _needed_ this. He needed this release. He needed to know that he wasn't going to be judged.

Alice remained quiet as he cried, continuing with her soothing motions. She went from stroking his cheek to running her fingers through his hair.

Jasper calmed after a little while. But he made no move to sit up. She didn't make him. His arms were still wrapped around her, as though he was trying to stop her from disappearing. Her hands stilled in his hair for a moment as Jasper moved his head to look up at her. His eyes were damp with tears that would never fall and he looked _exhausted_.

If he had been human, she would have ordered him to sleep. As it was, she told him to lay down and close his eyes. He did so, laying his head in the pillow her crossed legs made. He allowed his eyes to close after she had resumed stroking his hair.

She sang softly to him. She didn't know what the song was, but she'd heard Jasper sing it before.

His body started to relax, his pained expression becoming peaceful.

Alice knew what he was doing. He was meditating. He did it sometimes. Usually he waited until he was alone, but he clearly felt safe right now. He would never let his guard down otherwise.

She watched him for a moment. When she was certain he was settled she leant her head back against the tree trunk, closing her own eyes.

She wasn't sure how long they had stayed there, but the sun was beginning to fall when Jasper returned from his meditative state. He shifted his head in her lap and she looked down at him, meeting his eyes. He looked better now, his meditation seemed to have worked.

"Hi," She smiled.

"Hi," He repeated, matching her smile.

Alice leant forwards, placing a kiss against his lips. She could feel him smiling.

"How are you feeling?" She didn't want to ask, but she needed to know. He seemed relaxed. There were no immediate emotions coming from him.

His smile dropped for a moment.

"I still need to go." Jasper started. "But I feel... lighter, I guess."

"Then we'll go." Alice promised him, kissing his forehead. "As soon as you're ready."

She watched him nod.

"Ali," She hummed in response, playing with his fringe. "I love you."

"And I love you."

 **I think this is probably one of the longest chapters in this series.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **I hope you enjoyed.**

 **ibelieveinguardianangels**


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